TOPEKA, Kan. – Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) Secretary Jeff Zmuda announced today that one staff member at Topeka Correctional Facility (TCF) tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, April 20. This is the third KDOC facility with a confirmed case, with the first cases reported at the Lansing Correction Facility and Wichita Work Release Facility.
The staff member at TCF is a male over the age of 20. In order to protect the identity of the person, no other information will be released.
The KDOC has been in consultation with officials from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) on next steps to address these circumstances. As a result of that consultation with KDHE, the following steps were implemented:
• KDHE conducted contact tracing to determine who among our staff and residents have been in close contact with this individual
• The Shawnee County Health Department conducted contact tracing to identify anyone outside of TCF who may have been in close contact with this individual and will notify those persons
• KDOC will remain diligent in monitoring other staff and residents for symptoms
“Our corrections staff are committed to their work of preparing our residents for a successful return to their communities,” Zmuda said. “Our staff take that responsibility very seriously and we will continue to work with KDHE to ensure that we are conducting ourselves in a way that ensures the health and safety of everyone.”
The Topeka Correctional Facility is Kansas’ only all-female prison with a capacity of 948. The facility houses minimum, medium, special management and maximum custody residents.
For current information on COVID-19 in Kansas, and to sign up for updates, go to the KDHE COVID-19 Resource Center at kdhe.ks.gov/coronavirus.